Writing With Nancy

Inspiration For Keeping With It

"There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. If you block it, it will never exist through any other medium. It will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is, nor how valuable it is, nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open." Martha Graham, quoted by Agnes de Mille, Dance to the Piper and Promenade Home

I'm Not Having Enough Fun

I’ve hit the wall with this blog. I’ve decided I’d rather write an essay collection. I’m thinking of writing funny essays. Here’s my question: Who do you think is funny? (I mean people you know personally. Not some famous comedian.) And how important is that to you in choosing friends? Or collaborators? Or are there people who absolutely crack you up that you’d never want to befriend? You know, because they're insane? I’ve had a few of those.

I just watched the bonus features on the Ricky Gervais 2^nd season of *Extras* and it’s so clear to me that he surrounds himself with people who AMUSE him. On the dvd there is one long feature about how he likes to tape up his editor. This is a man who has worked with Gervais for YEARS. He tapes his head mostly with packing tape and paper bags torn up in scraps with doodles on them. But he also likes to tie up the editor’s whole body with tape. It cracks him up. He also has a guy on his *Podfather* podcasts who absolutely cracks him up–Karl. (If you’ve never listened to one here’s a link: http://www.rickygervais.com/

The point is I don’t think that Gervais knows why he is drawn to these particular people–never mind Stephen Merchant his co-writer. I don’t think it matters to Gervais why these poor souls have been charged with amusing him in this life. All that matters is that he is delighted by them because they keep him going. So that’s what I’m going to try to do with my essays–just write about the people who crack me up. Then we’ll see if that translates to a reader.

Lakeside News

Mary Scruggs, a long-standing member of Lakeside Studio wrote a story in the workshop about taking a trip with a group of Vietnam Veterans, which is now a full-length monologue. PLEASE come out and support this show. It's very, very good.

JEFF RECOMMENDED!

Written and performed by solo artist Mary Scruggs, Missing Man is based on a cross-country motorcycle trip Scruggs took with a group of Vietnam Veterans to the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. It’s a story of one woman, 300 motorcycles and lots of emotional baggage. Directed by Edward Thomas-Herrera.

Missing Man

opens Thursday, January 24th, 2008.

Closes Sunday, March 2nd, 2008.

Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8pm; Sunday at 3pm.

Tickets are $20 on Friday and Saturday; $15 on Thursday and Sunday.

For reservations call (773) 871-1212.

Coming to the End

Since the Writing With Nancy show closed I’ve had a chance to sleep a lot these past two weeks. Once the set strike was complete, at like 8pm Sunday night) I got violently, wretchedly sick for a few days. A total purge. In that initial 72 hours it felt the way coming off a long road trip continues after the car has come to a standstill. I was heaving and dreaming, curled in a ball having acid flashbacks of the songs, monologues and moments of getting particular laughs etc. only to go deeply unconscious again. People have since mentioned that a stomach flu was going around; although I have not been sick like that in years. I think purging was part of completing this project, this period of my life, this stressful attempt to articulate and share my personal vision to date and TO GET IT OUT OF ME. There’s a reason people don’t act on their dreams. You make mistakes, you get a huge feedback buzz, (which includes disappointments & surprises–eek!) and to top it off you have explosive diarrhea while puking your guts out

Soon I was back up on emails and able to go to yoga and the gym. Then I fell into watching a little BBC television I’d missed. (Specifically, may I recommend the latest effort by Jennifer Saunders –of Ab Fab?– who has a new series titled, *Clatterford* that features an ensemble of 8 superb actors mostly in their 50s. Not to mention the special features commentary with Pedro Almodovar on his last film *Volver* talking with Penelope Cruz.) After a few days of that I called my friends and even had lunch one day with my bff, Denise just to feel slightly human again. Then I wrote a few more checks to pay for the show’s final production costs–including an HD video document of the performance, which I will be able to show to those out-of-towners who had wanted to see the show but couldn’t travel.

The question I have is: What is it like when you to complete something? You hear a lot of people talking about their plans or goals. Sometimes you hear people describing their creative process or even their latest accomplishments–like writing a contract on a piece of business. But it is rare in my experience to hear anybody talk about completion. Is it like death I wonder? In my case it is a multi-dimensional feeling of things coming OUT or being left behind. Got anything on that?

I can’t say I was all that motivated to celebrate the holiday this year although I have been drinking a cheap champagne from New Mexico called Gruet that’s awfully good.

Merry/Happy To All!

WALK THE WALK #6

As I approach the final weekend of performances of the Writing With Nancy show, I am stunned by how much energy it takes to perform. In the play I make mention of the parallels between teaching and performing–but I got news for ya, performing is a much more difficult task. The energy it takes to put yourself out there is only matched by the incredible feedback you get back. Performing requires you to be present at an extraordinary level. It reminds me of when my daughter was an infant and I would spend the days staring at her as she stared back at me and on and on. In those first months when the sun went down I would crawl into bed exhausted, not realizing that the strain of remaining present with this infant was kicking my ass. That’s sort of what the show is like–having a big baby that makes some pretty serious demands.

It’s been 20 years since I did a show; not coincidentally, when I became a mother I stopped working in the theatre and now that my daughter is at college, about to turn 19, I am putting my big toe back into the water. Who knew it would take me 20 years to finally outlive the stranglehold my straight theatre training has had on my artistic output? Twenty years ago I wrote plays that other people performed, but this show is me writing for myself and a few (paradoxically enough) improvisers to perform. That nexus pf writing for performance and improvisation is where my satisfaction lies in this project. I finally see how to create scenarios that can be left open here and there to allow for variation. And I like writing about true things in an abstracted, figurative way. That’s style AND content I’m talkin about baby.Bam. I’m going to be discussing this more, later.

Last 3 performances this Friday, Dec. 7th & Saturday, 8th @ 8pm and Sunday Dec. 9th @ 3pm. Don’t miss this landmark achievement of my career. Or DO miss it, but consider yourself properly reminded that this is it, there ain’t no more.

Words Of Mouths

I want to thank everybody who made the first two weekends of Writing With Nancy at Live Bait Theatre a success. I am gratified by your support and happy with the show as a whole—especially that my performance has improved—the Posse and Rebecca were great from the beginning. Thank goodness we didn’t perform over Thanksgiving because we really did need a rest—having thrown up the show in 3 weeks was stressful. But enough about me.

I would now like to challenge the next 20 people who buy tickets for this Friday night’s performance (Nov. 30^th) to get one ticket free for another day and time. Just email me when you want me to put aside your comp. Please consider asking a friend, neighbor, guy-who-goes-to-plays, writer, middle-aged woman, ex-student of mine, theatre major, book lover or sibling if they want to see a funny show. And then maybe they will invite somebody to join them.

You can buy tickets online http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/22585 

or you can tempt fate and wait until the performance and walk up to the box office one-half hour beforehand. You may also call an 800 number and make a credit card purchase over the phone if that feels better. If you are coordinating with somebody—just send them to my web site or here, and they can click the banner to the online service that way.

We have 6 more performances before we close Dec. 9^th. Please, please take a minute to decide when you can come and then book the tickets.

Btw: Shannon Cunningham is the winner of the French fries competition and may also redeem her comp pronto darling.

Thank you and again my thanks.

Please Come to Live Bait This Weekend

The opening weekend of Writing With Nancy was very successful. I have already made over half my goal for the run. Thank you to all the friends who have taken ads in the program to ensure my advanced ticket sales. You really got my back. Opening night I was seized with terror and went up on many lines. Saturday, somehow relieved of pressure, we killed. On Sunday afternoon, with only about 20 people in the house, Eileen Donohue, preggers, bravely went on stage for the first time in 10 years to replace Gillian Bellinger who took the day off for her birthday. Many well-wishers have brought flowers to the show and my house is filled with the aroma of roses and lillies and stuff I don’t know the name of.

When you come to the show why not bring along champaign or some non-alcoholic bubbly? Put a ziplock of ice in the bag to chill the bottle (Denise did this on opening night and it was fabulous) and I will provide us the paper cups. Let’s have a toast and chat each other up and celebrate on the couch in the lobby.

I’m glad to be finally doing the show and seeing what the whole thing is about and how it works. People adore the Posse. And given my rocky ability to retain the sequence of the show, I am so bloody grateful to be up on that stage with SOMEBODY ELSE to whom I can turn for support and guidance. Maybe that’s the ultimate lesson here: that without the support of others for what I do, I am lost. The people I have chosen to work with on this project, have supported me with kindness and generosity. I am having fun and realizing this dream is rewarding. Can't remember the last time I could say that.

We will be off for the Thanksgiving week, giving thanks, so please make a concerted effort to sell out my performances this coming weeked. And PLEASE tell a friend.

MEMORIZE THIS!

I have been memorizing lines for 2 weeks with limited success and yesterday I got on my feet and put down the script. With Denise prompting me, within 2 hours I had managed to get to page 18. That’s close to 2/3rds. Note to all sketch writers and playwrights especially:

Do yourself a favor before you die by memorizing the entirety of something you have written so you can immediately discover IT’S TOO DAMN LONG.

Not only is every one of my monologues too long but they’re convoluted. too. I seem to write things upside down and with lots of additional gee-gaws hanging off of it. My writing is saying something I want to say but my feelings about what I’m saying gob thing up with guk. It’s so annoying! Fortunately I can edit the play because I wrote it.

But I think a lot of sketch writers watch their scenes and think: Damn that actor! Why can’t they just pick up the pace? This scene is dragging and they just need to say the lines faster! Wrong and wrong. Andy Miara, one of my colleagues at Second City says dialogue should take up about 1/3 of the theatrical space. The other THIRD is for the gestures and exits and other blocking. The final third is for the audience to react–hopefully from time to time with laughter.

When I direct student shows, first-time writers lean in to me during the performance and whisper,

*Why aren’t they laughing?*

I always end up saying, *Because they’re too busy listening.*

LET'S TRY NOT TO HOG ALL THE THEATRICAL SPACE WITH WORDS FOLKS. I'm trying, I'm really trying. So putting up *Writing With Nancy* has already been an invaluable experience and we’re two weeks away from opening!

BTW: Opening night is already half sold so please buy tickets soon BY CLICKING THE BANNER ABOVE. I appreciate your support.

Everything with French Fries

Not since I wrote about sausage last year, have I felt so compelled to discuss another favorite food: french fries. You can have your chocolate and your cupcakes (although I do long for some pie now and again) my guilty pleasure is salt and fat--where the flavor is. And all summer I was known to be baking up some frozen ones alongside some sockeye salmon with mayo and balsamic vinegar and garlic okay, and some dill. Now that's what I'm talking about. I like french fries in the morning, when I prefer to eat dinner. By six o'clock I couldn't care less about cooking. Carb intake in recent years has been monopolized by pasta and of course bread. But the nutritional benefits of the potato should not be overlooked. So now the gauntlet has been thrown. I invite you all to step up and share where you get your favorite fries. If you can't remember the name of the place, please provide a street or intersection...because if you make me get lost trying to find the joint, that's on you. I'll start:

CrossRhodes: This long-standing greek diner in Evanston at the corner of Main & Chicago Aveenues has the most delicious, thick *Greek* fries you could ever want to eat. They are thick-cut with just the right ammount of oil and vinegar drizzled all over them and seasoned with rosemary. Another option is to order tzaki sauce for dipping too. OMG!

Favorite Frozen Fries: Alexia brand which can be found at most supermarkets, but especially Treasure Island are the best. There are upwards of 6 different varieties including the new Salt & Pepper. OooLaLa.

The Ticket Office Is Up!

Thanks to Justin Jones and Ashley Vinson taking turns passing the Mac back and forth last night while we ate Brushetta and Tomato Veggie soup--I now have an online box office for the *Writing With Nancy* show!  http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/22585  Please send your friends the link or direct them to my website www.writingwithnancy.com (which will allow them to click through) and encourage them to buy a few tickets. Anybody who sends 10 people (including themselves) may place an ad in the show's program. Consider becoming a sponsor of the show and reaching 1,000 writers and friends of writers. Why not represent your business or club or charity--or just post a picture of your cat or dog making a statement in support of Writing With Nancy? Get out your calendars and save the date today.